Liquid carbonator



Dec' 2, 1947- J. l.. HUDSON 2,431,936

LIQUID cAR'oNAToR` Filed Feb. 26A, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 Janes L. /uosofv Dec. 2, 1947.

J. l.. HUDSON 2,431,936

LIQUID CARBONATOR Filed Feb. 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ,Jn/ves L. f/uDso/v Trane/vens .atentecl Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID CARBONATGR James L. Hudson, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 26, 1945, Serial No. 579,762

8 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a carbonating device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carbonating device which alfords a supply of carbonated water at constant pressure and in continuous supply.

This application is a continuation-impartl of aplication, Serial No. 506,359, led October 15, 1 43.

One of the objections of previous carbonators has been that if water at the tap is constantly withdrawn it will start running through the carbonator without suicient time for exposure to gas and consequent carbonation. Another objection has been that in some cases, when the water became low due to withdrawals from the carbonating tank, gas from the carbonator continued to flow through the vent valve causingva loss of the compressed gas. Also if the carbonator tank did not rell promptly because of frozen pipes or water supply cut-off, the vent valve would remain open and cause loss of carbonating gas.

The present invention contemplates a double tank carbonator each having a water responsive means which controls the gas inlet and gas outlet valves and an alternator valve between said tanks whereby carbonated water is always drawn from the tank having the highest pressure, thus affording time for the other tank to fill and carbonate before it is tapped. Qther objects and features of the invention having to do with the specific construction will be brought out in the following description and claims:

' In the drawings:

Fig. l is a circuit diagram illustrating the various elements of the carbonator and section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the common alternator valve located between the tanks.

Referring to the drawings two tanks S and T are shown each identical in construction. The water inlet pipe I leads to a manifold II connected to upwardly extending pipes I2, which are connected into a head I3 on each of the tanks. Check valves I4 and I5 are arranged in the pipes I2 to prevent backflow.

At the bottom of each tank is a water outlet 20 which leads into a housing 2|. An outlet pipe 23 for carbonated water leads from the housing 2|.

A gas supply pipe 30 having a check valve 3l branches into two pipes 32 and 33 each leading to a valve housing 34. A needle valve 35 is positioned in housing 34 to control flow of gas into tank T. Valve housing 34 is mounted in a base plate 36. Valve 35 is operated by a snap action device consisting of levers 31 and 38 each pivoted on a common pin on the right of housing 34 and operated by spring 39. Spring 39 is shown above the centerline in Fig. 1.

At the top of each tank located in the head I3 is a venting valve housing 45 in which is located a needle 'valve 46 to be operated by a snap action arrangement consisting of levers 41 and 48 each pivoted at the same point on valve housing 45 and operated by spring 49. Spring 49 is shown simply by a dotted line on Fig. 1. Lever 48 is an angle lever abutting against head I3. This lever is held in this position by a tension spring 5I when the load of the liquid-filled cups does not overcome its pull.

The lever 38 and the lever 48 are each connected to a rod 55 on which is mounted a plurality of dish-shaped members 56 each of which has an overhanging or reverse lip 51. These dishshaped members or cups 56 are spaced by spacers 58 on the rod 55.

The snap action devices controlling needle valves 35 and 46 are so arranged as regard their stroke that upon downward movement of rod 55 valve 35 will shift to a, closed position prior to the time that valve 46 is shifted to open position. Also valve 35 is arranged to remain closed until valve 46 is closed on the upward stroke of shaft 55. This is accomplished by arranging the stroke of levers 31 and 38 to a shorter distance than the stroke of levers 41 and 43 on the downward stroke; on the upward stroke, levers 41 and 48 reach the deadcenter position ahead of levers 31 and 38. This is due to the fact that in the downward movement of the rod 55, spring 49 of the top vent valve 46 is somewhat farther from the centerline over which it has to be thrown than is the spring 99 at the lower valve. Consequently, spring 39 will throw over center first and close the gas inlet valve 35 before spring 49 throws over centerand opens the vent valve. This is clearly shown by comparing the position of the springs 39 and 49 with respect to the centers over which they throw in Fig. 1. On the upward movement of the rod 55 which opens the gas valve it is desirable, as already explained, to have the vent valve closed before the gas valve is opened. In order to accomplish this the stop 12 is placed at the bottom of the valve housing 45 to stop the downward movement of the top lever 41 short and, consequently, the top lever 41 is stopped in its downward movement short of the arc in which the lower lever 31 can swing. The result is that in the upward movement of rod 55 the lower spring 39 has to move through a greater distance before it throws lever 31 over the centerline than is the case with spring 49 in pulling lever 41 upwardly over the centerline. Hence, the vent valve closes before the inlet valve 35 opens the stop pins 8| and 82 control the throw of lever 31.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that there are two pipes 20A and 20B leading from tanks S and T. A central bere 60 connects with the openings 20A and 26B, but a double ended needle Valve 5I is arranged to close one orthe other of the pipes:- 26A or? 20B. Thisfneclle valveBl is slidably mounted in `sleeves""62 which press fit into bore 60 of housing 2|. Each end of the valve seats in bore 63 of plugs 64 and 65. Sleeves 62 at their inner ends are reduced in diameter'land provided with radial openings 66 which permit flow to bore 60 when valve 6| is shiftedaway from one end or the other.

A ball 61 backed by spring 68 cooperates with tapered sections 69 on the midpart off-valvef-l whereby a predetermined pressure differential is requiredafto. shift .valver- 6 l. .zSpring` :68:: may :be -Varieditothe requirements.

In the operation of the devicegrwhen'iti is prop- :erlysiconnected`V to` a water supply and :gasfsupi.ply,.;thev water. fis. .turned Yon` frst .and Athe cylin- -ders::Scandv T arel .allowed :itosll tof. approximatei'lyilinel-SA of. Fig. 1. 'Then'the-gaseis turnednon. Meanwhile the water in the; cylinders: has :exerted fsufcient' force: on .the accumulatorsfor cups 56 4thatizspring'15l will pull leverfiup :and .close walvefd. sGas entersv at vthe lbottom fofthe; `cyl- .indersf and :rises .through .thef'waterr tofcarbon'ate ytile/reame cup-.lil Yz-is-` 'shown' directlyribeneath the water inlet. This serves to break up -t-hefwatemas it.A- entersthe cylinder.. thus causingfcarbonaton with lgas-.already inthe cylinder.

i fThe i degreeror carbonation-'ini acarbon'ator. depends :on .these factors, namely: temperature;l agitation.: pressure and rabsorption. lOlflt-liesexthe latter is most important and requires-time fA low temperature lis obtained by'. feeding a: r'c'old water supply into the carbonator and'by keeping the entire apparatus yund-er refrigeration. Ag-ita .vtionais'obtained-by the opening-of a-snap action inlet valve thus instantly releasing thelv full force "of the CO2 gasfpressure', usually-about 125 pounds per squareinch, into the bottomof a chamberof Iwater .withv a' narrow space' at Athe top'which has a low. pressure. This is. duetoventing'down 'to thewater supply pressure which is usually/i to -50,.pounds.per square inch. Inthepresentz installation' "since the CO2 yinlet is-located1=at the bottom ofthevtank it will provide violentaagitation :which is'zassisted'by a seriesfofinverted lp..cups 56. These cups -serve asrtraps forf'gayand-also serve-to deect the flow of gas in its-upward travel causing complete.mixingathroughout.

:Pressure and absorption are` relatedl-inthatthe :amountof absorption is dependent upon theipressuref'applied. .The pressure 'isfmaintained by the -supply of C02-gas. Time. isprovidedffor. absorption vof gas. by. alternating .from one tankto-ianother.

When-'bothttanks arecompletelylled withcav bonatedwater the'val-ve-ds closed andtheagas valve-35 -is open. When water is to be withdrawn thepipeZS-.isopened at thetap (not shown) ..--As suming that the alternator va1ve'2l isin the positionshown-.in Fig. 2, waterwillfbe-.f withdrawn from the Vtank T. Each '.of themembers will remain filled with water-1 and .the V`weight Y ofsthis water'onshaftv 55 will cause a movement-ofI lever '48,', against -the-v springi- 5 I It will. also. '.'cause a movement -'of--1ever-38. and .when the-water .level hasrreachedftherpoint indicatedatapproximately line B valve 35 will close. Upon further with drawing of water to a point indicated at line I valve 46 will be opened. This will decrease pres sure in the tank and permit tap water to ente once more to bring the water level up. In th meantime when the pressure in the tank T ha dropped a predetermined amount the pressure i pipe 20A will shift valve 6I thus closing connec tion 20B and opening the other tank S to the car fbonated water outlet. "When wateragain lls th left-hand tank`T, the spring`5| the springs 3 .and 49 will pull the accumulators 56 upwarc' V"first closing valve 46 and then opening valve 3E 1 :topermit carbonation.

The cycles thus continue with one tank being "used-'andthen the other. Spring pressed deten e 6'l.-control1ing..double needle valve 6| of Fig. 2 i: designed to permit a very slight drop in the pres sure-'off-one tank before the valve 6| shifts. Sine( both tanks are connected to the same source o: .gastsupplydshe:4 pressure willv remain .thefsame untilione'itank is vented'throughv'alve 46. :."Upor 'venting-L ofione, :valve -6l'-Will..connect.lthe zar- .bonated'svater"outletrto the other. Springlzmay be controlled to regulate the loweriwaterzlevelin each ltank. :f Springs I, actually: iexertsan upward .force ronsshaft s55. at ally times .f-When. ithe'fwater level drops, the weight of the Water in members .f5f-.willcounteract .thiszspringxthe` springs S9. and

.The overhanging. lips 51. .serve Lto Ltrapgasfand further .the carbonation byrinterrupting theiilow of; gas`..upward vthroughithewater. ...After the cyc-:lesxha'vestarted carbonation .will be furthered i by water being. sprayed into.: the .gaseousmtmos- Vpliers-aofi; thextank, by splash? plate '70 previously described.

Therefis tlfiusnprovidedf a', device .for effectingaa .continuous :supply of. carbonated f water atc-con- `4() istant pressure-"with nof'dangerfof'loss zof'igas.

@Animportant feature ofthe above-'describ'edfinvention is the maintenance of a constant pressure .atithe faucet. "Previous I:carbonationv devices ihave lbeenobjectonable in that the'pressurethroughoutst-he system .has had toadrop' below water. .pressure .infordertoobtain a relling of water supply. This is.-v a 4serious ldefect especially when .used-in automatic--drinkndispensing apparatus. With .the present fdevice; as. soonf as. pressure rin f one; tank drops,l dueto venting, :to-permit relling 'from fthe lwaterusupply;l fthe other highwpressure ztankawill .be :connected-to :the outlet, Vthus insuring `substantially constant highpressure at vthexdrait. .'.The device has been referred to, for'pur-poses-of conyenience, las: a CarbOnatng-deViCe.throughout 'the descriptiomand Aclaims-but it-` should be vunderstood that. it. may. -be-:used orthebringng about of absorption offanytypeofiigas byfa liquid. *.-fThe claims aresintended .to cover. any suchuseaoi IJche device vorg-its. components.

`fllvhat Iv claimis:

. 1...:In a-.carbonating.,apparatus'the combination of: a;plur'ality .of :tanksgY` eachatankprovided with algas inlet'port; afgas vent porty .and valvesin- .each tank for controlling the same-.and also-.provided Wtha liquid. inletI and z means 'forcontrollingL .the liquid inlet operated Aby the: pressure inthe ftank, meansQ-.contined within-each.' tank forcontrolling thagas--inletlandvventfvalves of .that tank and opera-tedby the:I liquidlevels .-in .said tanks.,I aca-rbona-ted liquididischarge pipe leading: fromwea-ch tank.:- afcommon outlet f pipe 'coni'iected7 with yeach tank dischargeY pipe, ."cl'iange over..r valve )means controllingotheslowiofliquid frometheindividual tankedischargmpipesfsaidfzvalvei means subjectito and shifted by the pressures in said tanks, the said valve means automatically closing oi a tank where the pressure has fallen below a given point and opening a fully-charged tank to the common liquid discharge pipe.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, in which the means contained within each tank for controlling the gas inlet and vent valves comprises a member which rises and falls with the liquid levels in the tank and operating connections contained within the tank for transmitting the movements of said member to the valves.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means contained within each tank for controlling the gas inlet and vant valves comprises a member in the tank which rises and falls with the liquid levels in the tank and connections contained within the tank between said member and the gas inlet and vent valves, said connections containing snap-over-center means which does not communicate the movement of the liquid level control member to the valve until a center position is reached, whereupon the devices snap over center and instantly operate the valve by the accumulated energy.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means contained within each tank for controlling the gas inlet and vent valves comprises a member contained within the tank and which rises and falls with the liquid level in the tank and connections between said member and each of the valves including snap-over-center levers and springs, the same being arranged to be nonoperative on the valves until a centerline position is reached, whereupon the valve is moved instantly by the snap-over action and the throw of the levers.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the valve means controlling the flow of liquid from the individual tank discharge pipes and operated by the pressures in said tanks comprises a valve member which guards the openings of two or more tanks into the common discharge pipe and which is shiftable by a given differential in pressure between the two tanks from a position of closing one tank to a position of opening to the discharge pipe the other tank having the larger pressure.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the valve means controlling the flow of liquid from the individual tank discharge pipes and operated by the pressures in said tanks comprises a common alternator valve controlling the discharge openings from said tanks to the common discharge pipe. the said alternator valve shiftable by a quick action from a position of allowing the escape of the carbonated liquid from one tank to a position of cutting off said escape when the pressure in this tank falls below a given point, at the same time opening to the common discharge pipe a companion fullycharged tank.

7. In a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a pair of tanks with discharge pipes uniting to discharge through a common pipe, valve means associated with said discharge pipes to control which pipe discharges into the common discharge pipe, each tank provided with a gas inlet and gas vent and valves in the tank for controlling the same, a water level-controlled member inside each tank having actuating connections with said valves and located in said tank and independent of the actuating connections in the other tank for closing the inlet valve and opening the gas vent valve of that particular tank only and conversely opening the gas inlet valve and closing the gas vent valve of that particular tank only, the said valve means for the discharge pipes including a part subjected to the discharge pressures of the tanks whereby the valve is shifted by the pressure differential inthe two tanks to close the discharge iiow from one tank and open the discharge from the other tank when the pressure in the one tank is vented as aforesaid by the connections with the water level-controlled member when the liquid level in the tank falls below a given level, and means for supplying water to the two tanks.

8. In a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a pair of tanks with discharge pipes uniting to discharge through a common pipe, valve means associated with said discharge pipes to control which pipe discharges into the common discharge pipe, each tank provided with a gas inlet and gas vent and valves in the tank for controlling the same, a water level-controlled member inside each tank having actuating connections with said valves and located in said tank and independent of the actuating connections in the other tank for closing the inlet valve and opening the gas vent valve of that particular tank only and conversely opening the gas inlet valve and closing the gas vent valve of that particular tank only, the said valve means for the discharge pipes including a part subjected to the discharge pressures of the tanks whereby the valve is shifted by the pressure differential in the two tanks to close the discharge flow from one tank and open the discharge from the other tank when the pressure in the one tank ls vented as aforesaid by the connections with the water level-controlled member when the liquid level in the tank falls below a given level, and a water supply pipe with a check valve closed when the gas pressure of the tank exceeds the water pressure and opened automatically when the gas is vented from the tank by the operation of the actuating connections upon the drop of the liquid level-controlled member to a given level.

JAMES L. HUDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 855,243 Green et al May 28, 1907 1,029,740 Beck June 18, 1912 1,434,574 Walter et al NOV. 7, 1922 2,059,104 Harrah Oct. 27, 1936 2,300,694 Overbeke Nov. 3, 1942 2,314,984 Hudson Mar. 30, 1942 2,391,043 St. Clair Dec. 18, 1945 2,408,799 Melichar Oct. 8, 1946 

